●林丹楓
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任光:從越鄉(xiāng)走出的“民族的號手”
●林丹楓
任光—民族的號手Ren Guang, a composer who was honored as the bugler of the nation after he died in action in 1940.
“云兒飄在???,魚兒藏在水中……”優(yōu)美的旋律,真切的情感,在革命年代風靡一時的《漁光曲》把人們帶回到那崢嶸的歲月,緬懷這首歌曲的作者任光。
1900年,任光出生于越劇之鄉(xiāng)浙江省嵊縣(現(xiàn)嵊州市)城關鎮(zhèn)東前街。在他的孩提時代,嵊縣民間百姓的吹拉彈唱、民歌小調(diào)以及后來發(fā)展成越劇的“的篤班”已十分流行,濃厚的民間越音氛圍和鄉(xiāng)間先賢的影響,給了他最早的音樂熏陶。他入讀嵊縣中學時,已擅長拉二胡、吹銅號、彈風琴,被同學們稱為“小音樂家”。
家鄉(xiāng)的山水,故鄉(xiāng)的越音,影響了任光的一生,在他以后的作品里留下了明顯的印記。
任光先后就讀于上海震旦大學、法國里昂音樂學院。1928年,任光辭別不愿來中國的法籍妻子回到上海,在百代唱片公司工作。不久,他結識了田漢、聶耳、冼星海、夏衍、蔡楚生等左翼文化人士,并參加了共產(chǎn)黨領導的“左翼劇聯(lián)音樂小組”、“蘇聯(lián)之友社音樂小組”等進步組織??谷諔?zhàn)爭爆發(fā)后,任光在法國、新加坡、菲律賓等國家為飽受戰(zhàn)爭創(chuàng)傷的中國人民舉辦募款義演,發(fā)出了海外抗日救亡的先聲。
革命的火炬點燃了他的創(chuàng)作熱情,他在戰(zhàn)斗中創(chuàng)作的一首首革命歌曲,鼓舞了千百萬群眾和抗日戰(zhàn)士。
1941年皖南事變中,任光不幸被流彈擊中犧牲。
任光與聶耳初次相識是在1932年,那時聶耳還在一個合唱團里吹小號。任光憑著極其敏感的辨音能力,發(fā)現(xiàn)了聶耳的音樂才能,遂通過他人介紹,將聶耳吸納到上海百代唱片公司音樂部,幫助自己從事收音、抄譜、作曲和教唱歌曲等工作,并且在不久聶耳即升任為音樂部的副主任,成了自己的得力助手。因任光畢業(yè)于法國著名的里昂音樂學院,專修音樂理論和鋼琴彈奏,是一位造詣很深的音樂家,聶耳非常尊重和敬佩任光,他們一起共事,真誠地相互幫助、交往合作,建立了很深的友誼。聶耳深深地感激任光的知遇之恩,虛心向任光學習,并一直尊稱任光為“我們的導師”。
人們都知道雄壯激昂的國歌《義勇軍進行曲》是由田漢作詞、聶耳譜曲的,卻很少有人知道任光在《義勇軍進行曲》誕生、傳播中的重要貢獻。
任光是首版《義勇軍進行曲》唱片灌制人。1935年5月9日,任光組織了上海電通電影公司的盛家倫、司徒慧敏、鄭君里、金山、袁牧之、顧夢鶴、施超7個演員唱《義勇軍進行曲》(即《風云兒女》電影主題歌),第一次在百代唱片公司錄音棚內(nèi)錄下這首版《義勇軍進行曲》,并灌制了唱片。隨后,他又將這唱片的錄音轉(zhuǎn)錄到電影《風云兒女》的膠片中去。這是全球第一張《義勇軍進行曲》的唱片,編號為34848b,現(xiàn)保存在上海國歌紀念館中。這版唱片很快發(fā)向全國,《義勇軍進行曲》迅速在長城內(nèi)外、大江南北廣為傳播,成為一首激情燃燒、影響最廣的抗日名曲。第一次灌制的唱片很快銷售一空,后來任光又連續(xù)灌制了兩次。據(jù)許多老同志回憶,那時的《義勇軍進行曲》是一首戰(zhàn)斗進行曲、游行集會的合唱曲,有力地推動了中華民族抗日救亡運動。
任光也是把《義勇軍進行曲》介紹到國外的第一人。1937年7月任光在法國進修期間,擔任了法國左翼文化組織“民眾文化協(xié)會”委員,他組織了巴黎華僑合唱團,首次教唱《義勇軍進行曲》,并多次在法國為救濟國內(nèi)難民舉行募捐公演。1938年春季,在有42個國家代表參加的反法西斯侵略大會上,他指揮華僑合唱《義勇軍進行曲》等抗日歌曲,一些國家代表聽了這些抗日歌曲后贊揚說:“中國現(xiàn)代歌聲中蘊藏著無限希望?!?/p>
左圖 從越劇之鄉(xiāng)走出的任光;右圖 任光1911年就讀的嵊縣中學堂校舍。Ren Guang was from Shengxian, the birthplace of Yueju Opera in eastern Zhejiang. In the right is the middle school Ren Guang went to in 1911 in Shengxian.
人民音樂出版社出版的《任光歌曲選》A Selection of Songs by Ren Guang, published by Shanghai Music Press
1939年5月,任光離開重慶赴新加坡,在新加坡舉辦民眾歌詠訓練班,傳播《義勇軍進行曲》等抗戰(zhàn)歌曲,并組建了華人革命音樂組織“銅鑼合唱團”。該團多次登臺演唱《義勇軍進行曲》,致力于喚起新加坡、馬來西亞、菲律賓等地海外華僑的抗日熱情?!读x勇軍進行曲》在當時華人中已成為大家最熟悉、最富號召力的歌曲,推動了海外華僑支援國內(nèi)抗日的愛國熱潮。任光所作的《中國進行曲》被輯入《世界革命歌曲選》。
任光從法國回國后,即到重慶育才學校音樂組任教,他除了教鋼琴、教唱歌等,還組織了教師合唱團,排練的第一個作品就是《黃河大合唱》。每晚在暗淡的桐油燈下,他親自刻印蠟板,指揮排練唱歌,“風在吼,馬在叫,黃河在咆哮”的歌聲震蕩著山城。
1940年7月,由周恩來親自批準,任光加入新四軍。因葉挺軍長的熱情邀請,任光來到安徽省涇縣云嶺新四軍軍部,被分配在戰(zhàn)地文化服務處負責音樂工作。在新四軍中,任光除繼續(xù)創(chuàng)作新歌曲外,一個重要工作就是教唱《義勇軍進行曲》。
任光在皖南云嶺新四軍軍部很受歡迎,戰(zhàn)士們親昵地稱他為“王老五”。他與戰(zhàn)士打成一片,很快就創(chuàng)作出一批歌曲,成功地轉(zhuǎn)型為軍旅音樂家。任光穿上軍裝,白天下連隊體驗生活、教唱歌曲,晚上則專心創(chuàng)作,寫出了反映連隊生活的《擦槍歌》等歌曲,深受指戰(zhàn)員喜愛。不久,他譜寫的《別了,皖南》在部隊唱響了,成了新四軍東進的進行曲,這也是他流傳下來的最后一首佳作。《義勇軍進行曲》《大刀進行曲》《新四軍東進曲》《打回老家去》等都成為全軍將士“冒著敵人的炮火前進”的戰(zhàn)斗動員令。
“皖南事變”爆發(fā),任光在槍林彈雨中犧牲,年僅40歲。他的妻子徐韌被俘后也慘遭殺害。而這時候,他的《漁光曲》已成為延安新華廣播電臺最早采用的序曲。
任光犧牲后,《新華日報》發(fā)表悼念文章,譽其為“民族的號手”。他一生創(chuàng)作了上百首作品,成名作是電影《漁光曲》的主題歌。《漁光曲》由王人美主演并主唱。1934年6月,電影《漁光曲》在上海放映,連續(xù)上映84天座無虛席,創(chuàng)上海電影放映場次的最高紀錄,主題歌《漁光曲》以哀怨的旋律、優(yōu)美的抒情,傾倒了廣大觀眾,“潮水升,浪花涌,魚船兒飄飄各西東。輕撒網(wǎng),緊拉繩,煙波里辛苦等魚蹤。魚兒難捕租稅重,捕魚人兒世世窮……”的歌聲響遍上海大街小巷。歌曲以越劇特有的委婉細膩的抒情風格和凄婉的曲調(diào),描繪了漁民沉重的勞動和貧困的生活,很好地渲染和烘托了影片的主題。
1935年2月,《漁光曲》參加在蘇聯(lián)莫斯科舉辦的國際電影節(jié),獲得“榮譽獎”,成為中國第一部獲得世界榮譽獎的影片。由于該片的成功,很快形成了電影要配上音樂才賣座的潮流,同時也奠定了任光在中國電影音樂史上的地位。
任光創(chuàng)作的《打回老家去》《抗敵歌》《大地行軍曲》《別了,皖南》等歌曲,以剛毅、雄健的曲調(diào),表現(xiàn)了中國人民抗日救國的堅強意志。此外,他還有一類直接由民間音樂素材改編和創(chuàng)作的歌曲,如電影歌曲《新蓮花落》《新鳳陽歌》《王老五》以及抗戰(zhàn)歌曲《高梁紅了》等,都富有生活氣息和鄉(xiāng)土風味。這些不同風格的歌曲,生動地表現(xiàn)了人民大眾的感情,具有鮮明的時代感和民族風格。
任光還作有歌劇《洪波曲》《彩云追月》等民族器樂合奏曲若干首。其歌曲作品已輯成《任光歌曲選》,1982年由人民音樂出版社出版。
任光(前排坐者)和《漁光曲》演創(chuàng)人員安娥、蔡楚生在一起Ren Guang sitting in the front and filmmakers of Song of the Fishermen
為紀念這位革命音樂家,1996年10月,浙江省電視制作中心、紹興有線廣播電視臺共同攝制六集電視劇《彩云追月》,用形象的電視形式把任光的一生記錄下來。
2011年1月,在任光犧牲70周年之際,由安徽省新四軍歷史研究會、浙江省新四軍歷史研究會等單位共同攝制的四集人物傳記片《民族的號手—任光》,在中央電視臺黃金時段播出,介紹任光在音樂創(chuàng)作、愛國抗敵中作出的貢獻。
民族的號手聲震云天,革命音樂家任光的樂曲永遠回響在中華大地!
Ren Guang: National Musician from Zhejiang
By Lin Danfeng
Ren Guang (1900-1941) was a musician and songwriter from Zhejiang. He is best remembered for Song of the Fishermen, a soundtrack he composed for a film made in 1934 and is still heard nowadays. And he is widely considered a revolutionary composer as he joined the New Fourth Army which was under leadership of the Communist Party of China and fought Japanese invaders during World War II. He died in Wannan Incident in 1941.
He was born in the capital of Shengxian County (the present-day Shengzhou, a county-level city) in eastern Zhejiang Province where Yueju Opera originated and has evolved into a national genre. In his childhood years, music and theater were a strong tradition in Shengxian. He picked up a lot from local musicians. While he wasin middle school, he was known as a teenage musician as he was able to play a number of musical instruments.
He studied in Aurora University in Shanghai and Lyon University in France. In 1928 he came back to Shanghai and worked for EMI Music. He made friends with a group of left-wing artists such as Tian Han, Nie Er, Xian Xinghai, Xia Yan, Cai Chusheng. He joined a left-wing league of playwrights and musicians. After China’s resistance war against Japanese invasion started in 1931, he staged fund-raising music shows in France, Singapore and Manila in support of the Chinese resistance movement. He was the first to make such efforts through music overseas.
Ren Guang met Nie Er in 1932 in Shanghai where Nie Er was a trumpet player in a band. Ren Guang recognized Nie’s talent and hired him to work as his assistant at EMI Music. Under the guidance of Ren Guang, Nie Er soon blossomed as a composer. Nie considered Ren as his mentor.
Ren Guang was also the first record maker of March of the Volunteers, now the national anthem of China. It is widely known that Tian Han was the lyric writer and Nie Er set the lyrics to music, but it is little known that Ren Guang made the first record on May 9, 1935 in Shanghai. Seven filmmaking artists from Diantong Films sang the song in the EMI studio. Ren Guang then copied the song to the film of Children of Troubled Times. The original record featuring 34848b as its serial number is now in the collection of Shanghai National Anthem Museum. The record was issued nationwide and the song spread like fire.
Ren Guang was the first to introduce the song to overseas audiences. While taking an advanced music course in France in July 1937, Ren Guang joined a left-wing cultural organization in France and served as a member of a committee. He organized a singing group composed of overseas Chinese in Paris. He taught the chorus to sing March of the Volunteers and the chorus sang the song many times at fund-raising events. In the spring of 1938, the chorus under the baton of Ren Guang performed this march and other Chinese songs for the anti-fascism congress in Paris attended by representatives from 42 countries.
由任光譜曲、安娥作詞的《漁光曲》轟動大上海。圖為《漁光曲》電影海報。A poster of Song of the Fishermen, a cinematic sensation released in 1934
任光與聶耳(左二)進行歌曲合奏。Pianist Ren Guang and violinist Nie Er perform together.
由任光錄制、具有重大的歷史意義的首版《義勇軍進行曲》唱片,編號為34848b。The original single gramophone record of March of the Volunteers, serial number 34848b, recorded by Ren Guang and released in 1935
In May 1939, Ren Guang arrived in Singapore. He was active in resistance undertakings against Japanese aggression. He taught songs to local singers and organized a chorus to sing them. March of the Volunteers was one of these songs.
Ren Guang joined the New Fourth Army in July 1940. Army Commander Ye Ting invited the composer over to the headquarters in Jingxian County in Anhui. The composer was in charge of the music work at the battleground cultural services. He composed songs for the army and taught soldiers to sing March of the Volunteers.
After his death, Xinhua Daily printed an obituary praising him as “a bugler of the nation”. In his short lifetime, Ren Guang composed more than 100 songs and most of them were revolutionary. In February 1935, Song of the Fishermen was screened at an international film festival in Moscow and won a prize. It was the first international film prize China had ever won. The film’s success set a new trend: a film must have a theme song for a box office success. Historians of Chinese filmmaking agree that Ren Guang made the trend.
Of the songs Ren Guang composed, many were about Chinese resistance against Japanese aggression. These songs were sung everywhere during the war. In October 1996, a six-episode series, jointly produced by Zhejiang Television Production Center and Shaoxing Cable Radio and TV Studio, was screened in honor of the composer.
In January 2011, a four-episode documentary was screened on CCTV in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the death of Ren Guang. The documentary was jointly made by Anhui Institute for the History of New Fourth Army and its Zhejiang counterpart.